Approval rates
Over the 12 months to July 31, 2026, Thomas C. Gray's 75% approval rate sits above the New York Varick office average of 67%, the state average of 63%, and the national average of 58%. These figures are based on 410 decisions.
SSA publishes no office- or national-level breakdown of fully favorable and denial rates. The 12 months are SSA's figures for this fiscal year to date plus the rest of the previous fiscal year; how we calculate them.
Approval rate over time
Year-over-year approval rate across Judge Gray's docket. Annual rates fluctuate with the mix of cases SSA assigns; the longer-run pattern is more informative than any single year.
Decision pattern
Since December 2016, Thomas C. Gray has issued 3,244 decisions. The approval rate has fluctuated over this period, with an 80% rate in 2025 and a 74% rate in 2026. The 75% approval rate over the 12 months to July 31, 2026, remains consistent with the long-term record.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Gray's bench. Judge-specific preparation guidance requires a corpus of public Appeals Council decisions involving each judge, which we haven't built yet.
- Bring a clean treating-physician record. Longitudinal primary-care or specialist notes spanning the disability period, with consistent symptom documentation, are typically the strongest evidence at hearing. A single month's records usually aren't enough.
- Don't rely on consultative exams alone. If your medical evidence is built primarily around a one-time CE finding, expect detailed questioning. Supplement with treating-source statements where possible.
- Prepare for daily-activity questions. Have honest, specific answers about a typical day. Answers that conflict with the medical record (in either direction) tend to hurt credibility.
- Expect transferable-skills probing. A vocational expert will usually testify about jobs available to someone with your limitations. Your representative should be prepared to cross-examine.
About the New York Varick hearing office
The New York Varick Hearing Office is the most recent office on record for Thomas C. Gray as of July 2026. The office's bench consists of 10 judges whose most recent office on record is this location, with an office-wide approval rate of 67% over the 12 months to July 31, 2026.
Other judges whose most recent office on record is New York Varick
The Social Security Administration uses a workload-balancing algorithm to assign cases. Among the 5 judges who decided cases at the New York Varick office in SSA's latest file, approval rates range from 50% to 75% over the 12 months to July 31, 2026.
Judges with similar approval rates
These active judges' approval rates over the same 12 months (July 26, 2025 – July 31, 2026) are closest to Judge Gray's 75%. All five last decided cases in New York.
- 76% Approval rate, last 12 months Patrick Kilgannon
- 73% Approval rate, last 12 months Jason A. Miller
- 73% Approval rate, last 12 months David Tobias
- 78% Approval rate, last 12 months Michael W. Devlin
- 72% Approval rate, last 12 months Dale Black-Pennington
Rates within 5 points of each other are hard to tell apart at a typical caseload, so treat these as judges with comparable records, not a ranking. See Judge Gray and the three closest side by side →
Approval rates change with a lawyer
Source: U.S. Government Accountability Office, GAO-18-37. The 3× gap is a population-wide average across all judges; individual outcomes vary.
Frequently asked questions
Over the 12 months to July 31, 2026, Thomas C. Gray's 75% approval rate is at the top end of the 50% to 75% range seen among the 5 judges who decided cases at the New York Varick office in SSA's latest file. An attorney can help you understand how your specific evidence aligns with the standards of this bench.
Thomas C. Gray has maintained a 77% approval rate across 3,244 decisions since December 2016. While the rate has varied year-to-year, the 75% approval rate over the 12 months to July 31, 2026, remains consistent with the long-term record. An attorney can help you prepare your case regardless of these trends.
No, you cannot request a specific judge. The Social Security Administration assigns cases using a workload-balancing algorithm. Because assignment is random, it is best to focus on building a strong case with an attorney who knows how to present evidence effectively.
An approval rate is a statistical summary of past decisions and does not predict the outcome of your specific hearing. Your success depends primarily on the medical evidence and testimony you provide. An attorney can help you prepare for the specific requirements of a hearing before Thomas C. Gray.
